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10 astonishing skills of flight attendants

Friendly, highly resistant to stress – flight attendants can withstand all kinds of turbulence. In fact, it’s at least ten jobs rolled up into one

Lufthansa flight attendants are also…

1.) … Life savers

“Is there a doctor on board?!” Despite all the clichés, this is a sentence that you are very unlikely to hear on a Lufthansa flight. Flight attendants always know exactly whether there are medial professionals on board and where they are seated. Doctors can register for the Doctor on Board program – and are rewarded with bonus miles. In the event of am emergency, the doctor can be swiftly and discreetly asked to help, meaning that you’re unlikely to hear anyone say “Let me through, I’m a doctor!” So what happens if there isn’t a medical professional on board? Well, then a defibrillator is used if necessary: this device gets the heart going again with a jolt of electricity – and all flight attendants are trained to use it.

2.) … Sommelier

Up in the skies tomato juice is the classic choice. Have you ever wondered why? The low pressure in the cabin changes how our taste buds perceive flavor, meaning that it really does taste better than on the ground. It’s similar with wine: heavy red wines with berry notes taste especially good up in the air. Lufthansa experts carefully pick the wines we serve to reflect this, and our flight attendants can provide expert advice when choosing a wine – just in case you decide to skip the tomato juice.

3.) … Host

The guest is king! Flight attendants wholeheartedly embrace this golden rule of the restaurant and bar industry, and they see themselves as hosts to the passengers on board. There might not be live music, but apart from that you could be forgiven for thinking you’re in a high class restaurant.

4.) … Interpreter

Sure, every flight attendant speaks fluent English. But most also speak a third or fourth foreign language. Sometimes, even a fifth. These skills are put to good use: regardless of where the flight is headed, someone on board will have the right words. Admittedly, tomato juice is one of the lesser challenges: Tomatojūsu (Japanese), t’o-ma-t’o ju-seu (Korean), tomatnyy sok (Russian), tomaattimehu (Finnish), domates suyu (Turkish), tomat şirəsi (Azerbaijani), tomatjuice (Slovene), tomaat juice (West Frisian), tamatiesap (Afrikaans), tomàto sùgh (Scottish Gaelic), tomata suko (Esperanto) …

5.) … Diplomats

Traveling expands your horizon. And flight attendants get to travel all over the world: a week in Asia, then South Africa, a stopover in Frankfurt, and then on to Brazil. All this jetting around enhances their sensitivity for diverse expectations, customs and habits. Always at your service: Lufthansa’s flying diplomatic corps.

6.) … Specialists

Flying isn’t a profession – it’s a calling. Perhaps that’s why many flight attendants also have another profession. On board a Lufthansa flight you can expect to meet violinists, psychologists, orthopedic nurses, mountaineers, cartoon artists, midwives, fire service volunteers, and we’ve even got a former vice world champion in kickboxing.

7.) … Security

The safety of all passengers takes top priority on board. Annual emergency training sessions are held to help maintain these high safety standards. Flight attendants know exactly what to do in potentially hazardous situations. Always keep calm. In fact, some are so composed that they would make perfect poker players.

8.) … Students

Learning keeps you young! At Lufthansa there is a wealth of individual classes and courses: communication, service, etiquette, culture, business, health, foreign languages and many other subjects. A truly comprehensive and highly effective anti-ageing program for all flight attendants – of all ages.

9.) … Technicians

Flight attendants need to remain calm and composed in the face of minor catastrophes, like a stuck seat or a recalcitrant remote control. They know exactly what to do – and especially in Business Class with its multitude of technological features. Here’s a useful tip: If your glasses slip down behind your seat, on no account use the electric seat adjustment function! This mechanism knows no mercy. Flight attendants know how best to retrieve lost items out of the bowels of seats.

10.) … Pantomime artists

The safety instructions are pure routine – or so it seems. Actually, what you are watching are pitch-perfect performances! And quite apart from this, Lufthansa flight attendants display a considerable talent for pantomime. Next time you’re on board, watch a steward behind a trolley mime to his colleagues in the galley that he needs a chicken meal. Nobody gets disturbed. This is art in the service of well-being.